Agility poles and passing arcs for sports training

ABSTRACT

An agility pole or a passing arc includes one or more receptacles adjacent to a first end of a tube. A spike assembly has one or more fittings, and a spike attached to a holder adapted to slide into the first end of the tube, in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the tube. The fittings engage the receptacles in the spike-in position and in the spike-out position. The agility pole or passing arc may be transported and stored in the spike-in position so that injury or damage from the spike is avoided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Agility poles generally have a spike at the bottom end of a pole. Agility poles are typically set up in a pattern on a practice field, with the spike of each pole pressed into the ground to secure the pole in place. Depending on the sport and practice exercise, the agility poles may be arranged in a zig-zag pattern, a slalom pattern, or other pattern that the player runs through. These exercises train the player to make quick changes in direction, while maintaining appropriate body positions.

Spikes on an agility pole anchor the pole into the ground, so that the agility pole remains upright and in place. In most uses the spike also allows the agility pole to deflect somewhat if a player collides with the agility pole. However, spikes have several drawbacks. During transportation and storage of the agility poles, the pointed ends of spikes can present a hazard to people, or damage the interior of a vehicle, or a storage space. The pointed ends may also tend to pierce through a carrying bag. Dirt or mud remaining on the spikes after using the poles may also soil the carrying bag, vehicle or storage space. Accordingly, improved agility poles are needed.

Passing arcs are used primarily in soccer practice to improve passing accuracy and ball control. Typically a pattern of passing arcs is set up on a field to provide a designated ball target or trajectory, and the player dribbles the ball through the arcs. Generally, passing arcs have been provided as a U-shaped or C-shaped tube, with a spike at each free end of the tube, to secure the passing arc in place on the field. As a result, the spikes used in passing arcs involve the same drawbacks as discussed above relative to agility poles. Hence, improved passing arcs are needed as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An agility pole or a passing arc includes one or more receptacles adjacent to a first end of a tube. A spike assembly has one or more fittings, and a spike attached to a holder adapted to slide into the first end of the tube, in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the tube. The fittings engage the receptacle in the spike-in position and in the spike-out position. The agility pole or passing arc may be transported and stored in the spike-in position so that injury or damage from the spike is avoided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an agility pole in a spike-in position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the agility pole of FIG. 1 in a spike-out position.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the lower end of the agility pole as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of the lower end of the agility pole as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper end of the agility pole of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a section view of the lower end of the agility pole as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lower end of the agility pole as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a passing arc in a spike-out position.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the passing arc of FIG. 8 in a spike-in position.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of either end of the passing arc as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of either end of the passing arc in the spike-out position, as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of either end of the passing arc in the spike-in position, as shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a section view of either end of the passing arc in the spike-in position, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 12.

FIG. 14 is a section view of the agility pole of FIG. 1 inserted into a base.

FIG. 15 is a side perspective view of the agility pole as shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the agility pole as shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the passing arc as shown in FIG. 9 with each end of the arc inserted into a base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an agility pole 20 may have a first or lower section 22, a second section 24 telescopically attached to the first section 22, and a third section 26 telescopically attached to the second section 24. A cap 28 is optionally attached to the top of the agility pole 20. Each section may be provided as a hollow tube, typically made of plastic or metal. The tube may be round or have various polygonal shapes, with rectangular or square tubes often selected. Some versions of the agility pole 20 may have only a first section 22, while others may two sections or four sections. Each section generally has a length of about 30-60 cm. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each section is about 50 long, with the pole having a total length when fully telescopically extended of about 135 cm.

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, a spike assembly 30 has a spike 32 attached to a holder 34 via screw threads, adhesives, molding, etc.. The spike 32 may be a metal, such as steel and the holder 34 may be plastic. Alternatively, both may be plastic or metal, with the spike integrally formed as part of the holder 34. The spike 32 may have a pointed end to better penetrate into the ground without using excessive force. The holder 34 has one or more fittings shown generally at 35 in FIG. 3, which may be provided in the form of a button 38 on a resilient arm 36. The fitting 35 is designed to engage a receptacle 40 at the lower end of the first tube 22, with the receptacle shown as a hole in the tube 22. Pairs of fittings 35 and receptacles 40 may be provided on opposite sides of the holder 34 and the tube 22, respectively. If the holder itself is sufficiently resilient, the arm 36 may be omitted, with the button or other projection on a section of the holder 34 that allows the projection to be deflected inward.

As shown in FIG. 4, the spike assembly 30 may be inserted into the open lower end of the tube 22 with the spike 32 projecting out, in a spike-out position. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the spike assembly 30 may also be inserted into the open lower end of the tube 22 in the reverse orientation, with the spike entirely within the tube, in a spike-in position. The holder 34 may have a size and shape to allow it to slide into the tube with minimal clearance, to allow minimal movement between them in both of the spike-in and spike-out positions.

Referring still to FIG. 6, a groove 44 may be provided in one or more side walls of the holder 34, with a complimentary key 46 in the tube 22. The groove 44 and key 46 may help to secure the tube 22 and the spike assembly 30 together. The groove and key 46, if used, may also provide an alignment feature which allows the holder 34 to slide into the tube 22 only if the fittings 35 on the holder 34 are properly oriented to engage the receptacles 40 in the tube 22. Designs using a rectangular tube are self-aligning and largely preclude rotation of the spike assembly within the tube. In designs using a round tube, the key and slot may avoid the need to turn the spike assembly within the tube to align the fittings. Of course the positions of the groove 44 and the key 46 may be reversed. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower end of the tube 22 may optionally have a recess or radius 48 to provide an additional visual alignment indicator, and/or to reduce stress on the button if the user tries to insert the spike assembly without depressing the button 38.

As shown in FIG. 3, the resilient arm 36 may be formed by cutting a U-shaped slot in a side wall of the tube 22, with the button 38 on the free end of the arm 36, and with the button projecting out from the side wall. To move the spike assembly 30 into the spike-out position, the user inserts the top end of the holder into the tube 22, depresses the button 38, and slides the spike assembly 30 into the tube 22 until the button 38 pops out into the hole 40. The spike assembly 30 is then locked in place in the spike-out position shown in FIG. 4. The agility pole 20 may then be used as described above, in the same way as with an agility pole having a fixed spike.

To move the spike assembly 30 into the spike-in position shown in FIG. 6, the user depresses the button 38, pulls the spike assembly 30 entirely out of the tube 22, and re-inserts the spike assembly into the tube spike-first. As the holder 34 slides into the tube 22, the button 38 pops out into the opening 40, again locking the spike assembly 30 in place, now in the spike-in position. As shown in FIG. 14, a plate or rim 80 having a through hole may be provided within the tube to provide a hard stop for the holder 64 when in the spike-in position. In the spike-in position, the top end of the holder 34 projects slightly out of the tube 22, as shown in FIG. 7, so that the user can conveniently grasp it to switch it to the spike-out position. As only the blunt top end of the holder 34 projects from the tube in the spike-in position, the disadvantages of a fixed spike are avoided.

As shown in FIGS. 14-16, for use on synthetic turf, or paved or hard surfaces, the agility pole 20 may be used in the spike-in position, with the bottom end of the pole 20 inserted into a slot 84 in a base 82 or other holding element. The base 82 may be shaped as a four-sided pyramid having one, two or three vertical slots 84 for receiving and holding the pole 20, and optionally one or more horizontal slots. The base 82 may be made of solid rubber or plastic, or it may be fillable with a weight element such as sand or water.

Turning to FIGS. 8-10, a passing arc 50 has a curved tube 52 optionally with straight end segments 54. A receptacle optionally in the form of a slot 58 is provided in each end segment 54, or in the ends of the curved tube if no straight end segments are used. In the example shown, slots 58 are located on opposite sides of the tube. A ramp 56 and an indent 60 may be provided at each slot 58. A spike assembly 62 has a holder 64 with one or more fittings, in this example in the form of lugs 66 on opposite sides of the holder 64. The spike 32 is attached to a bottom end of the holder 64. The holder 64 may be plastic or metal, with the spike 32 optionally an integral part of the holder. The holder may have one or more grooves 68 which engage a key in the tube. If straight end segments 54 are not used, the spike 32 and the holder 64 of the spike assembly 62 may be curved to match the curvature of the curved tube 52.

The spike assembly 30 may be inserted into the tube 52 or segments 54 in the spike-out position shown in FIG. 11, or in the spike-in position shown in FIG. 12, as described above. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, in either case, the user aligns the lug 66 with the slot 58 and slides the holder 64 into the tube. The ramps 56, if used, may help guide the lug into the slot 58. The indents 60 project inwardly and create an interference fit with the lug 66. With nominal additional force, the lug 66 snaps past the indents 60 and is captured in the complimentary opening at the top of the slot 58. With the lug 66 seated in the opening 70, the spike assembly 30 is fixed in place on the tube.

As shown in FIG. 17, the passing arc 50 may be used on synthetic turf, a hard or paved surface in the spike-in position by inserting one or both ends of the arc 50 into a slot 84 in a base 82.

Attached means an element joined to another element, or a single integral element having two features or functions. Rectangular means geometrically rectangular or square, or a four sided shape having equal opposite side, and rounded corners. Substantially outside of the tube means that enough of the spike is outside of the tube to allow the spike to support the tube, e.g., at least 2 or 3 cm, up to the full length of the spike. The fittings and receptacles shown in FIGS. 1-7 may optionally be used in the design shown in FIGS. 8-12, and vice versa. The positions of the fittings and receptacles may of course also be reversed, with the fitting provided on the tube and the receptacles on the spike assembly.

Thus, novel equipment has been shown and described. Various changes and substitutions may of course be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited except by the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. Sports training equipment, comprising: a tube having a first end; one or more receptacles adjacent to the first end of the tube; a spike assembly including one or more fittings and a spike attached to a holder adapted to slide into the first end of the tube, in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the tube; and with the fitting engaging the receptacle in the spike-in position and in the spike-out position.
 2. The equipment of claim 1 with the receptacle comprising a hole in the tube and the fitting comprising a button on the holder.
 3. The equipment of claim 1 with the receptacle comprising one or more slots at the first end of the tube and the fitting comprising a lug on the holder.
 4. The equipment of claim 1 further including a key on one of the tube and the holder, and a complimentary slot on the other of the tube and the holder.
 5. The equipment of claim 1 with the spike at a first end of the holder, and further including a plurality of ridges on an outer surface of a second end of the holder, opposite from the first end.
 6. The equipment of claim 3 with the slot having a ramp surface.
 7. The equipment of claim 1 wherein the tube has four sides.
 8. The equipment of claim 7 comprising a first receptacle on a first side of the tube and a second receptacle on a second side of the tube opposite from the first side, and with the holder having four sides with a first fitting on a first side of the holder and a second fitting on a second side of the holder opposite from the first side of the holder.
 9. The equipment of claim 8 wherein the sides of the tube and the sides of the holder are substantially flat.
 10. The equipment of claim 1 with the tube and the holder having congruent shapes.
 11. The equipment of claim 1 with the spike having a length of 80 to 300% of the length of the holder.
 12. The equipment of claim 2 comprising first and second resilient fingers on opposite sides of the holder, with the fingers formed via U-shaped slots cut in the opposite sides of the holder.
 13. The equipment of claim 1 with the tube further including a second end, and a second spike assembly on the second end of the tube.
 14. The equipment of claim 1 further including a second tube telescopically attached to a second end of the tube.
 15. The equipment of claim 1 wherein the holder has a shape which prevents the spike assembly from rotating within the first end of the tube.
 16. Sports training equipment, comprising: a tube having first, second, third and fourth flat sides, with the first and second sides parallel to each other, and the third and fourth sides parallel to each other; first and second receptacle holes in the first and second sides of the tube, respectively, adjacent to a first end of the tube having a tube opening; a spike assembly including a holder with a cross section shape matching the tube opening, and a spike on a first end of the holder, the spike assembly having a first position where the first end of the holder and the spike are in the tube opening, and a second position where the spike is outside of the tube opening; a first fitting on a first side of the holder, and a second fitting on a second side of the holder, with the first and second fittings engaged with the first and second receptacle holes, when the spike assembly is in the first position, and when the spike assembly is in the second position.
 17. The equipment of claim 16 with the first fitting comprising a button on a flex arm cut into the first side of the holder, with the button projecting outward from the first side of the holder.
 18. The equipment of claim 16 comprising a single rectangular tube.
 19. Equipment, comprising: a curved tube having a first end and a second end; first and second receptacles adjacent to the first end of the tube; third and second receptacles adjacent to the second end of the tube; first and second spike assemblies on the first and second ends of the tube, with each spike assembly including a spike on a first end of the holder, a left fitting on a first side of the holder, and a right fitting on a second side of the holder, with the left and right fittings of the first spike assembly releasably engaged with the first and second receptacles, and with the left and right fittings of the second spike assembly releasably engaged with the third and fourth receptacles.
 20. The equipment of claim 20 with the first spike assembly insertable into the first end of the tube in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the first end of the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the first end of the tube, and the second spike assembly is insertable into the second end of the tube in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the second end of the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the second end of the tube. 